Consequences
by forensicsfan
Summary: What if Nick and Sara had acted on all that flirting between them during Season One?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Don't own them, didn't create them, etc.  
  
Premise: With all the flirting that went on between Nick and Sara during Season One, what might have happened if they acted on it?  
  
********************************************  
  
Sara felt sick. It wasn't that she was physically ill, she was just filled with regret. Not that her actions would necessarily be considered reprehensible. If she had stepped back and looked at things logically, she could have predicted her current circumstances. Still, she wished she could turn back time.  
  
She sat in her Tahoe a long time before she finally decided that shift was about to begin and she was going to have to face the music. It wasn't going to get any harder than right now. She was unusually quiet as she walked into the break room, the rest of the team had already assembled. She didn't meet anyone's glance, instead lingering near the coffee machine, putting far too much sugar into her cup.  
  
She glanced up as assignments were handed out and she caught a glimmer of concern on Grissom's face. She quickly shoved it aside. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about what had happened, especially with him. Of course, there wasn't anyone she really wanted to talk to right now, so it suited her fine when Grissom assigned her a case by herself. It would give her plenty of time to think and give her plenty of distance between her and the other members of the team.  
  
She didn't notice the curious expressions on everyone's faces, save one. That one, had a different expression. An expression that spoke volumes about knowing why Sara was in the state she was in. Sara didn't notice though. She wouldn't make eye contact with any of them.  
  
She headed to her crime scene and slowly, methodically processed it. In fact she'd been there so long, Grissom sent Catherine out to see if she needed help because she also wasn't answering her cell phone.  
  
"Sara." Catherine called out as she entered the scene.  
  
Sara glanced up and her brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"You weren't answering your phone and shifts almost over. Grissom thought you might need some help." She replied, her head cocked to one side as if asking an unspoken question.  
  
"I'm almost done. I just need to transport this back to the lab." She replied in an even tone that she hoped didn't belie her real state.  
  
Catherine studied her. "Rough day?"  
  
Sara's brows shot up. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Catherine arched a single brow. "You didn't talk to anyone at the beginning of shift. You're not answering your cell phone. You look like crap. Basically, you're not acting like yourself. Did something happen?"  
  
Sara replied nervously. "Can we not talk about this?"  
  
Catherine studied her for a moment. "I know we didn't get off on the right foot. But you're a damn fine CSI and I can tell that something is bothering you. Are you sure you don't want to talk?"  
  
Sara considered Catherine's offer and began to think about what had brought her to this moment.  
  
It all started when she showed up in Vegas. She had found Grissom at a hotel investigating a suspicious death. Someone was throwing dummies off the roof and Grissom was standing below analyzing the way they landed. She didn't really pay much attention to the person throwing the dummies, she was here because Grissom had asked her to investigate someone on his crew and for all she knew that person on the roof could be him.  
  
When she found out that the soft spoken Texan and his charm weren't under investigation, she began flirting with him shamelessly. She had learned he had quite the reputation with the ladies and she teased him mercilessly about his 'flavor of the week or month' that he happened to be dating.  
  
He took it all in great stride and flirted with her as well. The flirtatious banter turned into a real friendship and she really enjoyed working with him.  
  
That is until yesterday happened. Both of them had the night off and they decided to go out to a club as friends. He was always telling her that she needed to get out more and she knew that he was right. Besides, if anyone came on too strong, he promised he'd bail her out.  
  
The club wasn't too crowded and they both had downed a couple of drinks before they decided to hit the dance floor. She hadn't realized that he could dance so well and she found herself completely enjoying the experience of moving to the techno beat of the music with him. She wasn't prepared for the shift in music when a slower song came on. If she was thinking more clearly, she probably would have gone and sat down, but before she had the opportunity, he pulled her against him firmly as he swayed to the slow music.  
  
The beating of her heart seemed deafening. She could feel every nuance of his muscular body as she clung to him, slowly moving with the music. Before she really knew what was happening, she had slid her arms around his neck and their lips had joined in a sensuous kiss, that had fueled a fire that neither of them had realized had been ignited.  
  
They made a hasty retreat from the club and wordlessly made their way to his house, resuming their kiss almost before the door closed behind them. Leaving a trail of clothing in their wake, they tumbled into his bed in a passionate frenzy, neither of them able to get enough of the other.  
  
After she had woken up, she softly climbed out of bed, trying not to wake him and picked her clothes up piece by piece, dressing as she went. Thankful that she driven over to meet him at his house, she drove home and took a shower before crawling into bed and crying herself to sleep. She had quite possibly ruined one of the best friendships she had in Vegas.  
  
"Sara." Catherine's voice broke through her reverie.  
  
Sara's face was a myriad of expressions.  
  
"Are you ok?" Catherine looked truly concerned.  
  
Sara met Catherine's gaze and shook her head. "No. No, Catherine, I'm not ok."  
  
"What's wrong?" Catherine continued. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
Sara took a deep breath and looked Catherine in the eye. "I slept with Nick." 


	2. Despair

Catherine looked shocked. "You slept with Nick." She restated Sara's statement as if to clarify what she was hearing.  
  
Sara let out a deep breath and turned away from Catherine crossing her arms in front of her body as if to form a protective shield. "Yeah."  
  
"It sounds like you think that was a mistake." Catherine queried.  
  
Sara turned back around and furrowed her brow. "Isn't it? I mean how in the world can this be a good thing. We're friends. We work together."  
  
Catherine chuckled softly. "Sara, have you talked to him?"  
  
Sara looked like the color had just drained out of her face. "I don't think I can do that."  
  
Catherine let out an audible breath. "You're going to have to at some point if you're going to be able to work together." Catherine turned and looked over her shoulder as she walked away. "I'm going back to the lab. I'll let Grissom know you have everything under control here." With that she walked away and left Sara with her thoughts.  
  
Sara finally headed back to the lab well over an hour after shift had ended. She logged in the evidence and headed to the locker room, which she expected would be deserted. It wasn't.  
  
Nick stood in front of his locker and as he glanced up and saw her enter, a myriad of emotions crossed his face. Tension was evident in his jaw, but his eyes held something else. A concern, a sadness, perhaps even hurt. His voice was tentative. "Sara."  
  
She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. Instead, she hurriedly opened her locker and stowed her gear. She bit her lower lip and didn't respond to his tentative greeting.  
  
"Sara, we need to talk." Nick's voice was soft, but insistent.  
  
She glanced up at him, but averted her gaze immediately. "I can't do this right now." She could feel tears threatening to spill.  
  
He reached out for her arm. "Sara, please." If she'd looked up and met his gaze she would have seen the hurt etched on his face.  
  
She just shook her head, fighting back tears. "Nick, I need to go." She pulled her arm away from him and quickly exited the locker room, heading for the parking lot and the refuge of her Tahoe.  
  
As soon as she'd shut the door, tears began to cascade down her face. She wiped them away and drove as quickly as she dared to her apartment. She didn't even bother to undress, instead she crawled on top of her bed and curled up in a ball and cried herself to sleep.  
  
As she woke, she was aware that her phone was ringing, but the last thing she wanted to do was talk to anyone, so she ignored it, instead laying on her bed afraid to move, afraid to feel. She wasn't sure how long she'd been like that, it must have been a while, she finally forced herself to move, but wasn't sure where she was going to go. She made it to the kitchen and found a bottle of Scotch that someone had given her once. She didn't drink much except when she went out, which wasn't often. She took the Scotch and went and slumped on the couch, staring off into space.  
  
The next coherent thought she had was that she was pretty drunk and there was a loud noise coming from the general direction of her front door. She managed to stumble to the door and open it to reveal a stunned Warrick staring back at her.  
  
"Girl, you are some kind of drunk." He had concern etched on his face.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Her speech was slurred.  
  
Warrick's eyebrows shot up. "You didn't come to work, everyone was worried. That's not like you."  
  
She just opened the door wide and allowed him to come in.  
  
That's when he noticed the half empty bottle of Scotch and Sara's tear stained face.  
  
She staggered back toward the couch and Warrick helped her sit down. "What's going on?"  
  
Drunk out of her mind and her inhibitions shot to hell, she started to spill the whole story. "I slept with Nick."  
  
"You slept with Nick?" Warrick clarified.  
  
"Yup." She pointed at Warrick. "Just another notch on his belt, that's what I am."  
  
"Damn. Have you talked to him, Sara?" Warrick was sure if the two of them would sit down and talk that they both might be a little surprised.  
  
"I don't wanna. He's just gonna tell me he's got some other girl, and here after I've gone and fallen in love with him." Sara was babbling.  
  
Warrick tried to hide his amusement. "You're in love with Nick?"  
  
She started to giggle incoherently. "Oops. Did I say that? That was my secret. Don't tell Nick."  
  
"Uh, yeah. Uh, Sara, I think you need to sleep this off, and no offense, I'm getting rid of this." Warrick picked up the Scotch and poured it down the sink, throwing the empty bottle in the trash. He returned to the couch and chuckled as Sara had already laid down and fallen asleep. He pulled a blanket around her and softly left, closing the door behind him. As he made his way to his Tahoe, he pulled out his cell phone and called Grissom to let him know that Sara was sick and wouldn't be in.  
  
As he climbed behind the wheel of his Tahoe, he pulled his cell phone out again and punched in another number. "Nick, we need to talk. Now." 


	3. Hitting the Fan

"Warrick, I'm at a crime scene." Nick sounded frustrated. He could tell by Warrick's tone of voice that he was less than pleased with Nick.  
  
"Fine, I'll come there." Warrick replied firmly.  
  
"Don't you have a scene you're supposed to be at, man?" Nick replied defensively.  
  
"I'm working on what I'm supposed to be." Warrick finished and ended the call.  
  
Nick stared at his cell phone for a moment before stowing it back on his belt. He let out a stream of curses and as he glanced over at Catherine a sheepish expression crossed his face. "Sorry, Cath."  
  
"I've heard worse. What's up with Warrick?" She looked concerned.  
  
"He didn't really say, but by the tone of his voice, he's looking to chew my ass out." Nick sounded frustrated. "What exactly does Grissom have him working on tonight anyway?"  
  
A grimace crossed Catherine's face momentarily and then she looked like she was about to say something, but stopped.  
  
Nick raised a defensive eyebrow. "What is this? What did I do that I've got the whole world pissed off at me?"  
  
Catherine tried to keep an even tone in her voice. "Grissom sent him to go check up on Sara."  
  
Nick met her gaze and he let out another stream of curses.  
  
Catherine softened her tone. "Uh, Nick, I know that you and Sara slept together."  
  
Shock and then a hint of anger crossed Nick's face. "Great. Is there anyone who doesn't know?"  
  
Catherine reached over and touched Nick's arm, her face was etched with concern. "Nick, what exactly happened between you and Sara?"  
  
"Why don't you tell me. It seems like the whole world knows what I'm doing better than I do." He immediately regretted his words and his face softened. "I'm sorry, Catherine, you didn't deserve that."  
  
Catherine smiled softly. "It's ok. Why don't you just tell me what's going on."  
  
He looked at her and it appeared that tears were threatening to spill from his eyes. He blinked them back and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I don't know what's going on. That's the problem."  
  
Catherine raised a curious eyebrow, but remained silent.  
  
Nick continued. "Sara and I went out to this club the other night. I mean we're all telling her she needs to get out more often. I figured that if anyone got too obnoxious that I would bail her out. Well, there weren't too many people in the club and so we decided to hit the dance floor after we had a couple of drinks. We had been dancing a while and then this slow song came on and before I could really process what was going on, she kissed me. We didn't stay in the club too long after that and when we got back to my place, one thing led to another. She was gone when I woke up." Nick raked his fingers through his short hair.  
  
Catherine had concern etched on her face.  
  
"Cath, neither of us was drunk, we both knew what we were doing. I've tried to talk to her, but she won't even look at me." Emotion caught in Nick's throat.  
  
"Give it some time. She's probably as scared as you are." Catherine smiled.  
  
The sound of a slamming car door turned their attention to the Tahoe that had just pulled up. A fuming Warrick emerged and stormed toward Nick. Catherine deftly stepped between the two.  
  
Warrick glared. "Nick, we need to talk now." Warrick glanced at Catherine. "Alone."  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow at Warrick. "I'm not moving, Warrick. You're going to have to say whatever you have to say through me."  
  
"Nick's a big boy. He can handle himself." Warrick glared at Nick. "Can't you, Nick?"  
  
Tension was evident in Nick's jaw. "Warrick, why don't you just tell me what this is about."  
  
"Sara." Warrick stated, his arms crossed in front of his body.  
  
Nick visibly sagged.  
  
"So, it's true, you did sleep with her." Warrick bristled again. "Damn you, Nick. This is Sara, not one of your barfly girlfriends."  
  
Nick clenched his jaw and didn't say a word.  
  
Warrick continued. "She's so upset, that she got herself plastered. I dumped out the rest of the bottle so she couldn't get alcohol poisoning if she decided to drink some more."  
  
Catherine gently, but firmly placed her hand on Warrick's chest. "That's enough, Warrick."  
  
He glanced down at her and his expression softened slightly.  
  
She continued. "I don't think you know the whole story."  
  
Warrick glanced up at Nick and for the first time registered the emotional angst on his friend's face.  
  
Nick was fighting back tears. "Excuse me." He turned and walked to his Tahoe, leaning against the far side of it as he let the tears spill.  
  
Warrick swore.  
  
"You might want to get all the facts before you rush to judgement. Sara won't talk to him, he's tried." Catherine explained.  
  
"I feel like an ass." Warrick replied shaking his head. "What was he thinking though?"  
  
Catherine chuckled. "What do you think?" She glanced toward where Nick was standing behind the Tahoe and then back at Warrick. "He said she left before he woke up and she won't talk to him."  
  
"Damn. What are we going to do with them?" Warrick was mulling over the effect this was going to have on the team as a whole.  
  
"Does Grissom know?" Catherine asked with concern.  
  
Warrick shook his head. "Not unless Sara told him, which I have a hard time believing would ever happen."  
  
"Good, let's keep it that way. All we need is for him to take a personal vendetta out on Nick." Catherine suggested.  
  
"Yeah. Those two need to talk." Warrick concluded.  
  
Catherine nodded. "Soon." 


	4. Drunk

"Nick, I'm sorry." Warrick intruded on Nick's silence. "Go talk to Sara."  
  
Nick glanced up at Warrick defensively. "I've got a crime scene to finish processing, and besides, she won't talk to me. I tried."  
  
"Make her talk to you." Warrick continued.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Make Sara do something she doesn't want to, yeah, right."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "My point exactly."  
  
Nick looked at him with a perplexed expression on his face. "What in the hell are you talking about, man?"  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "We both know that no one can make Sara do anything she doesn't want to do."  
  
Nick nodded, not sure where Warrick was going with this. "What's your point, man?"  
  
Warrick chuckled. "She obviously wouldn't have slept with you if she didn't want to."  
  
A faint smile played at Nick's lips. "Warrick, I was there, trust me, I know."  
  
A bemused grin crossed Warrick's face. "All I'm saying is, she might be more receptive to talking to you than you think."  
  
Nick just shook his head. "I still have a crime scene to finish processing."  
  
"I'm staying. Go talk to Sara. Her door's unlocked." Warrick concluded.  
  
Nick let out and audible breath. "You left her door unlocked?" He was clearly annoyed.  
  
Warrick chuckled. "It was either that or stay there. I didn't see her keys anywhere."  
  
A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Nick's mouth. "Ok, I'll try and talk to her, but if it doesn't work, it's your fault, man."  
  
"I've got a crime scene to work on. See you later." Warrick sauntered off toward Catherine and Nick climbed into his Tahoe and headed towards Sara's apartment.  
  
He sat in her parking lot for a good fifteen minutes before he finally decided to get out and try and talk to her. He nervously walked up the steps to her apartment and knocked softly on the door.  
  
He was surprised when she opened the door so quickly.  
  
She looked like a mess. In spite of that she smiled at him and spoke to him with slurred speech. "Nicky, you came back to love me and leave me." She threw her arms around his neck and began to kiss his throat as she pulled him into her apartment.  
  
Nick closed the door behind them and tried to disentangle himself from her. "Sara, you're drunk."  
  
Sara began to giggle. "Yeah, I drank a lot. It doesn't taste very good though."  
  
"Sara, why did you do this to yourself?" Nick was concerned. He had never seen her like this.  
  
"You were going to leave me for another girl. Had to leave you first." She babbled.  
  
"Damn." Nick shook his head. As much as people teased him about being a ladies man, deep down he really didn't like the reputation. Like most people, he just wanted to find someone to love and someone to love him.  
  
Sara threw her arms around Nick's neck again. "You're overdressed."  
  
"Sara." Nick's tone was firm but gentle. "You need to sleep this off."  
  
"Sleepy." Sara smiled too brightly. "Come with me." She began to pull him toward the couch, but stumbled on the way.  
  
Nick caught her around the waist and ended up just scooping her up and carrying her back to her bedroom. He gently deposited her on the bed.  
  
Sara tried to cling to him, her arms around his neck. "Stay with me, Nicky."  
  
"Sara, that's not a good idea." Nick let out a deep breath and pulled her arms off of his neck.  
  
"Why?" She sat up and put her arms around his waist.  
  
"Because you're going to kill me if I'm here when you wake up." Nick answered under his breath.  
  
"I won't kill you, Nicky, I love you." Sara began to giggle. "Oops, that was a secret."  
  
Nick's resolve gave way and he allowed Sara to pull him into the bed with her as he considered her drunk statement. He was sure that she would indeed kill him when she woke up, but for now, he would just be with her. He hadn't gotten any sleep after the last shift because his thoughts had been consumed with Sara refusing to talk to him and he was exhausted.  
  
Sara curled herself against him and began kissing his neck.  
  
"Sara, sleep." Nick's voice was soft but firm.  
  
Sara giggled and continued kissing his neck and then began to unbutton his shirt.  
  
Nick grabbed her hand and wrapped his other arm around her to still her.  
  
She molded herself against him, nuzzling his neck and finally drifted off to sleep in his arms.  
  
Nick fell asleep a short time later, hoping that she wouldn't be as angry as he thought she would be when she woke up and found him in her bed. 


	5. Hangover

Sara woke up with a pounding sensation in her head unlike anything she'd ever had before. As she became more alert, she realized that she wasn't alone. A feeling of panic hit her like a ton of bricks, especially as she realized that the figure she was sleeping against was Nick Stokes. As she began to disentangle herself from him, she noted that his shirt was unbuttoned part way, but that he still had his shoes on. As she sat up, her head began to throb even harder and a vague recollection of her throwing herself at Nick made it's way into her consciousness. All of a sudden she didn't feel well. She made it to the bathroom just in time to throw up. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, or the fact that Nick was in her bed, but either way, she did not feel ok.  
  
She heard a sound in the doorway of the bathroom. As she glanced up, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Sar? You ok?" Nick's voice was soft and etched with concern.  
  
She snapped at him defensively. "Do I look ok?"  
  
He shook his head. "No." He took a cup from the counter and filled a glass of water for her.  
  
"Thanks." Sara replied suspiciously as she took the water from him.  
  
He just continued to study her. "I think we need to talk."  
  
Sara let out an audible breath. "Why are you here?"  
  
"I came to check on you." He replied softly.  
  
Sara's memory was a little fuzzy. "Didn't Warrick do that?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah, he did."  
  
"Why did you come by? Why did you stay?" Sara's voice held a hint of apprehension.  
  
"I came to see if you were ok. Warrick said you were pretty drunk. I stayed because you asked me to." Nick explained softly.  
  
"Oh." Sara wasn't sure how to respond. And then snippets of thing she thought she'd said started to fill her mind. She groaned. "I made a fool out of myself didn't I?"  
  
"Sara, you were drunk. Everybody acts at least a little foolish when they're drunk." Nick hoped that would make her feel better.  
  
It didn't seem to. She leaned back over the toilet and threw up again.  
  
Nick grabbed a towel and got a corner of it wet. He wiped her face with it gently and just sat on the floor next to her.  
  
She looked at him slightly bewildered. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
"You need someone to take care of you." He simply stated the obvious.  
  
She didn't say anything, she felt too crappy to protest.  
  
"Are you done throwing up?" Nick asked her as he studied her face.  
  
She glanced at him and nodded. "I think so."  
  
He helped her up off the floor and as she tried to steady herself on her feet, her knees started to give out. He caught her before she could fall. "I think you need to go back to bed, Sar."  
  
Nick helped her back to her bed and then turned to leave the room.  
  
As Sara lay down, she started to cry.  
  
Nick stopped in his tracks and turned around. Concern washed over his face and he walked back to where she now lay curled in a ball, her back toward him. He sat down next to her on the bed and touched her shoulder. "Sar?"  
  
She stiffened at his touch and tried to stifle a sniffle. "You can go now. You don't have to stay. I'm sure you have something better to do than take care of drunk Sara."  
  
Nick smiled in spite of the situation. "Actually, I don't."  
  
Sara hugged a pillow against herself. "You have a pretty pathetic life then don't you, Stokes?" She reached up and wiped the tears from her face.  
  
Nick was quiet for a few moments as he contemplated what he should say next. He let out a deep breath. "Why did you leave, Sara?"  
  
Sara was taken a bit by surprise at his question, and started to cry again.  
  
Nick wasn't sure if it was the best idea, but he crawled onto the bed and molded his body against hers. He slung his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest as he murmured soothing noises against her hair.  
  
Her crying slowly tapered off and she just lay there silently, sniffling occasionally. After a while, she began to trace Nick's fingers with her own, eventually lacing her fingers with his and leaning back against him, finally relaxing.  
  
He whispered in the silence. "Why did you leave, Sar?"  
  
Her voice was so soft, it was barely audible. "I was scared."  
  
"What are you afraid of?" Nick's voice was thick with emotion.  
  
"That you would leave." Sara replied softly.  
  
Nick chuckled in spite of himself. "It was my house."  
  
Sara chuckled. "That's not what I meant."  
  
"I know. Sorry." Nick replied caressing her hand with his thumb. "You didn't even stay to find out." There was an edge of hurt in Nick's voice. "You wouldn't even talk to me."  
  
"I'm sorry, Nick." Her voice was soft, tentative.  
  
"Don't be sorry, just talk to me, Sara." Nick's voice was gentle.  
  
"I don't know what to say." She let out a deep sigh.  
  
"Let's talk about what we want to do about this." Nick answered.  
  
Sara was quiet for a few minutes. "Did it mean anything to you?"  
  
Nick stiffened slightly and then let out a deep breath. "Yeah, Sara, it did. It meant a hell of a lot. More than I think I can explain." He was quiet for a moment. "I was afraid that it didn't mean anything to you when I woke up and found you gone."  
  
"I'm sorry I left. I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just scared." Sara started crying again. She leaned back against Nick and let him hold her. Her tears finally tapered off. "It did mean something to me, Nick. That's why I was so scared."  
  
"What do you want to do about this?" Nick asked tentatively.  
  
"I don't know." Sara replied honestly. "I'm still scared. What if it doesn't work out?"  
  
"What if it does?" Nick answered softly. "Don't you think it's worth the risk?"  
  
Sara considered his words for a few minutes. "I'm not sure, I think it is. But I'm still scared."  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "Me too. We don't have to decide anything right this minute."  
  
Sara was quiet for a few minutes and then her voice had a slightly panicky quality to it. "Nicky?"  
  
"Yeah, Sar?"  
  
"I'm gonna be sick." She tried to climb of the bed toward the bathroom, but stumbled in the process, Nick sprang after her and helped her up and to the bathroom so she could throw up.  
  
As he wiped her face with a damp towel, he smiled at her. "Sara, you make a lousy drunk." 


	6. How's Sara?

Catherine and Warrick finished processing the scene and packed up their respective Tahoes to return to the lab. Upon entering the break room they each got a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.  
  
"So, he hasn't come back yet. Do you think that's a good sign, or do you think we should expect a new crime scene?" Warrick quipped.  
  
"I guess we'll have to wait and find out. He has been gone an awfully long time though, and shifts almost over." Catherine replied.  
  
"I sure as hell hope Grissom doesn't notice." Warrick took a sip from his coffee.  
  
Catherine cleared her throat as she looked toward the door.  
  
Warrick glanced over. Grissom stood in the doorway with a curious expression. Warrick hoped he hadn't heard his last comment.  
  
Grissom pursed his lips slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Have either of you seen Nick?"  
  
Warrick and Catherine glanced at each other for a moment.  
  
Catherine set her cup down on the table and looked up at Grissom. "I sent him over to Sara's."  
  
Grissom furrowed his brow and looked at Warrick. "Didn't I send you over there?"  
  
Warrick nodded and then glanced at Catherine before continuing. "Yeah, but she didn't want me there, she didn't feel well."  
  
Grissom cocked his head slightly. "But she wanted Nick there?"  
  
Warrick wasn't sure what to say.  
  
Grissom lowered his glasses. "What are you two not telling me?"  
  
Catherine narrowed her gaze at Grissom. "Gil, Sara was pretty drunk when Warrick stopped by."  
  
Grissom's eyebrows shot up. "Drunk? That's not like her."  
  
"We know. That's why we didn't think she should be alone." Warrick replied.  
  
Grissom pondered this for a moment. "And she was ok with Nick being there?"  
  
Catherine chuckled to herself. "Yeah, as far as I know she's ok with it. We haven't exactly heard from Nick since he went over there."  
  
Grissom raised an eyebrow. "Have you called?"  
  
Warrick glanced up with a slight roll of his eyes. "We've been working a crime scene."  
  
A half smile formed on Grissom's face as he looked back at Warrick and Catherine. "You're not processing a scene now." Grissom glanced at the clock. "There's still a few more minutes of shift left."  
  
Catherine and Warrick exchanged a slightly amused glance.  
  
Catherine pulled her cell phone out of her purse and punched in Nick's number.  
  
On the other end of the line, Nick had grabbed for the cell phone on his hip in a hurry, so it wouldn't wake up Sara. "Stokes." He pulled himself off of Sara's bed and softly walked out into the living room in his sock clad feet.  
  
"Nick, it's Catherine. Grissom wanted me to check and see how Sara is." Catherine studied Grissom's expression.  
  
"She's still not feeling very well, but she's asleep right now." Nick replied curious that Grissom knew that he was there. "How much does he know?"  
  
"Some kind of hangover, huh?." Catherine queried to give Nick and idea of just how much Grissom knew.  
  
"So he knows that she was drunk?" Nick let out a deep breath. He was pretty sure that Sara wasn't going to like that. "Does he know anything else?"  
  
"Not really, shift was pretty slow. Warrick and I had it under control." Catherine acted as if Nick had asked him how the shift had gone.  
  
"So, he's standing right there then." Nick chuckled to himself. "Just tell him she'll be in next shift, that should make him happy."  
  
Catherine glanced up at Grissom who had been studying her as he talked to Nick. "Sara should be in by next shift."  
  
A satisfied expression came over Grissom's face. He turned his attention to Warrick. "Warrick, I need to speak with you." Warrick glanced at Catherine with a slightly puzzled expression on his face, but followed Grissom out of the break room.  
  
Catherine turned her attention back to the phone. "He's gone. How is she?"  
  
"She's been throwing up all night." Nick replied. "She's pretty dizzy because she's so dehydrated."  
  
"I'm assuming that since you're still there, that either she didn't kill you, she's too sick to care, or you worked things out." Catherine chuckled softly.  
  
"Something like that." Nick replied with a smile etched on his face. "There was a moment I thought she was going to kill me, she really was too sick to care, and we're still working things out."  
  
"It's gonna be ok, Nicky." Catherine's smile was evident in her voice.  
  
"You were right, Cath, she was just scared, but then, hell, so am I." Nick replied.  
  
"Hey, I need to go rescue Warrick from Grissom, I have a feeling he's getting the third degree." Catherine stated.  
  
"Thanks, Cath." Nick ended the call and headed back into Sara's bedroom and crawled back onto the bed.  
  
Sara moved toward him and snuggled up against him. "Where did you go?"  
  
"Catherine called. I didn't want to wake you up." He answered softly.  
  
"Oh, what did she want?" She asked.  
  
"Grissom wanted to know how you were, so he had her call." Nick stroked her hair.  
  
"What did you tell her?" She lifted her head slightly.  
  
"That you didn't feel good." Nick smiled at her.  
  
"Does Grissom know that I was drunk?" Sara asked with a grimace on her face.  
  
Nick let out an audible sigh. "Yeah, I think Catherine or Warrick told him."  
  
Sara swore and splayed her hand out on his chest, playing at the buttons on his shirt, which Nick had refastened.  
  
Nick chuckled softly.  
  
"What's so funny?" Sara pouted.  
  
"You." Nick enveloped her hand with his and glanced down at her. "Do you think you're ready to try eating yet?"  
  
She smiled. "I think so."  
  
"Ok, I'll go get you something." Nick started to get up.  
  
"I can do it." Sara protested lifting herself up.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Sara, no offense, but every time you've tried to stand up to throw up, you've almost fallen over. You're a little dehydrated."  
  
Sara looked at him and cocked her head to the side. "Will you at least help me out to the couch then?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I will." He pulled himself off the bed and when Sara started to stand he put his arm around her waist and helped her out to the couch. He then moved into her kitchen to see what she had in her cupboard. He let out an amused chuckled. "Do you ever eat, Sara?"  
  
"I haven't been to a grocery store in a while. I usually eat out." She answered.  
  
"I can tell. Fortunately for you, I make a mean Top Ramen." Nick grinned at her as he pulled some out of her cupboard.  
  
She just giggled.  
  
"Ah, signs of the old Sara Sidle. You must be feeling better." Nick teased. He made the ramen noodle soup and brought it to her in a large mug, handing it to her as he sat down next to her on the couch.  
  
She glanced at him with a smile. "Thanks." She leaned against him and slowly ate the soup. She set the mug down on the coffee table and looked at Nick. "I still feel pretty awful, but I have a feeling part of it's because I've been in these clothes for far too long. I think I'm going to try and take a shower."  
  
"Ok." Nick just smiled at her. "Let me know if you need any help." An embarrassed expression came over his face. "I mean, if you feel dizzy."  
  
Sara studied him for a moment and then reached over and squeezed his hand. "Thanks for everything, Nick."  
  
He squeezed her hand in return. "Any time, Sar."  
  
She pulled herself up from the couch and slowly padded into her room to find a change of clothes before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. It was only then when she looked in the mirror that she realized how awful she looked with her bloodshot eyes and tear streaked face. In spite of that, a smile formed on her face. Nick had seen her absolute worst and he hadn't left. 


	7. Falling, Talking, Trying

The water in the bathroom stopped and a few seconds later Nick heard a crash followed by a thud and a stream of curses. He jumped off the couch and rushed to the bathroom door. He called out as he knocked. "Sara? Are you ok?"  
  
A muffled voice called back through the door. "Uh, sort of. I guess I'm still a little dizzy."  
  
"Do you need help?" His voice had a note of concern in it.  
  
"Yeah." Sara answered muttering something under her breath that Nick couldn't quite decipher, but assumed was a few choice curse words.  
  
He opened the door to reveal a soaking wet Sara holding a towel around herself. He crouched down and looked her in the eye. "Hey, you ok?"  
  
She wore an embarrassed grin. "Uh, yeah, I think I only bruised my pride and maybe my butt."  
  
"Put your arms around my neck." He prepared to help her up off the floor.  
  
Sara hesitated. "Uh, if I do that, I'll lose the towel here." A bit of color infused her cheeks.  
  
"Do you trust me?" Nick raised an eyebrow at her expectantly.  
  
She nodded not too convincingly. "I think so."  
  
"Ok." He stood up for a moment and grabbed another large towel and unfolded it, holding it in front of himself. "Put your arms around my neck and I'll wrap this around you. I promise I'll keep my eyes closed."  
  
Sara started to chuckle. "This is ridiculous you know. It's not like you haven't seen me naked."  
  
Nick grinned at her. "True, but if this makes you more comfortable, that's what we'll do."  
  
Sara slid her arms around Nick's neck burying her head in his shoulder as the towel she'd held around herself dropped from her torso.  
  
Nick wrapped the towel he was holding around her back as his arms gripped her body and he helped her off the floor.  
  
As they came to a standing position, Sara lifted her head to glance at Nick. True to his word, his eyes were closed. An amused smile formed on her lips and she leaned up and pressed her lips softly to his.  
  
Nick's eyes fluttered open in surprise, but then closed again as he smiled into the kiss. He searched her eyes as they broke apart. "What are you saying? Do you want to give this a shot?"  
  
She nervously nibbled her lower lip. "I'm still really scared."  
  
"You didn't answer my question, Sara." He furrowed his brow.  
  
She let out a deep breath and rested her forehead on his shoulder.  
  
Nick closed his eyes and tension was evident in his jaw. He let out a deep breath and opened his eyes. He scooped Sara up and carried her into her bedroom, depositing her on the bed in the towel. "I'll get your clothes." He returned to the bathroom and picked up the clothes she'd brought in there to change into and returned to her bedroom.  
  
Sara lay on her bed in the towel and looked up at Nick when he walked back in. "Can we talk?"  
  
A slightly annoyed expression crossed Nick's face. "Only if you get dressed first. Remember, I have seen you naked and honestly, Sara, it does things to me, so if you want to talk, you'd better get dressed."  
  
"I'm sorry." Sara's face clouded.  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "Don't apologize for being attractive, Sar. Just don't kiss me if you don't know what you want, ok? I'm not sure I can handle it. I'll be in the other room."  
  
Sara was left alone with her thoughts. She changed into a pair of pajama pants and a tank top and just lay back on the bed contemplating what Nick had said. She honestly didn't know what she really wanted. She was definitely attracted to him, but the reality of dating him scared the hell out of her. And then there was Grissom. She was scared to death of what he might think about her dating Nick. She had a feeling that he wouldn't particularly like it, and in some respects that made Nick all that much more appealing. Still, she cared about him, a lot, she just wasn't sure she wanted to risk their friendship for something that was unknown, untried, and unproven.  
  
Nick sat down on the couch and rested his head in his hands. Damn, did she have any clue what she did to him? How in the hell could she play with his emotions like that? Did she really think that she was just another notch on his belt? He really cared about her and right at that moment his heart hurt like hell. He just didn't think he could handle losing her as a friend, and he'd felt like he'd already come pretty damn close after they'd slept together. He heard the sound of footsteps and looked up.  
  
Sara stood there with a concerned expression on her face, holding onto the wall for support. "Uh, can we talk?"  
  
Nick stood and walked over to her, putting his arm around her waist to steady her as he helped her over to the couch.  
  
She nervously bit her lower lip as she looked over at him. "I'm sorry, Nick, I wasn't thinking."  
  
"Do you want to try this?" Nick looked at her, his expression was open, and it was as if he'd laid his soul out for her to read.  
  
She furrowed her brow as she studied him. "I'm still really scared, Nick. I don't want to lose your friendship if it doesn't work out."  
  
Nick nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know, I was thinking the same thing. I don't want to lose you either."  
  
Sara reached over for Nick's hand.  
  
He looked up at her with a bit of uncertainty.  
  
She gave his hand a squeeze as she met his gaze. "I think though, that if we don't give this a try, we'll regret it. I mean, I don't think either of us is going to try and deny that we're attracted to each other."  
  
Nick chuckled and smiled at her, squeezing her hand. "No, I'm not about to deny that, I think I made that pretty obvious the other night."  
  
Sara blushed at the memory and glanced away before looking back up at him. "Yeah, you did."  
  
He studied her for a while.  
  
A smile tugged at Sara's mouth. "So, if we're going to give this a try, where do we start?" Sara's stomach rumbled loudly interrupting the conversation.  
  
Nick laughed as he glanced at her stomach. "I'd say ordering some food might be a good place to start."  
  
Sara began to laugh and then a sheepish expression crossed her face. "I've got a Thai place on speed dial."  
  
Nick grabbed the phone and handed it to her raising an amused eyebrow at her. "You know, you really need to get out more." 


	8. Unpleasant Interruption

Nick tried to contain his grin as he swallowed a bite of Thai food. He chuckled as he watched Sara's face turn from surprise to amused ire. He dodged as she swatted at him. "Hey, what was that for?" He looked amused.  
  
She raised a single eyebrow. "You stole the last piece of broccoli."  
  
Nick started to laugh. "What do you expect when you kiss me with your mouth full?"  
  
Both of Sara's eyebrows shot up and she started to protest, but ended up laughing instead.  
  
Nick grinned. "Besides, that wasn't that last piece of broccoli." He reached into the container on the coffee table and pulled out a piece of broccoli. Very deliberately, he dangled it in front of Sara before popping it into his own mouth, waggling his eyebrows at her as he swallowed.  
  
Mock indignation crossed Sara's face as she tackled him on the couch, pinning him beneath her. She leaned down and placed a searing kiss on his lips. Nick immediately parted his lips as Sara thrust her tongue into his mouth. She pulled away a moment later with a pout on her face. "You ate it."  
  
Nick started to chuckle. "I got what I wanted."  
  
A mischievous grin crossed her face. "And just what was that, Nick Stokes?"  
  
"You." He grinned. "Much better than broccoli."  
  
She raised an eyebrow and looked down at him. "Bait and switch?"  
  
He started to laugh. "In a manner of speaking, yes." His began to lightly caress her back through her tank top as she lay on top of him on the couch.  
  
She smiled. "Well, you're lucky, I was full anyway." She leaned down and kissed him, softer this time.  
  
They stayed like that for a long time, kissing and caressing. Nick had tangled his fingers in Sara's hair and one of his hands had made it's way up the back of her tank top. Sara's hands had managed to unbutton his shirt and her fingers trailed up and down his sides as they continued tasting each others lips and exploring each other's mouths.  
  
A soft knock sounded at the door. They broke apart, somewhat breathless.  
  
Sara looked down at Nick. "I should probably get that." She leaned down and kissed him again.  
  
Nick laughed against Sara's lips and pulled his hand out of her shirt.  
  
She pulled away smiling. "Ok, I'll get it." Sara got up from the couch and walked toward the door.  
  
Nick sat up and had buttoned his shirt about halfway when Sara opened the door to reveal Grissom standing there holding a plant. "Grissom." She sounded somewhat surprised to see him standing there.  
  
There was a warmth in Grissom's voice that Nick found unsettling. "I heard you weren't feeling well and I thought I'd stop by to see how you were." Grissom glanced around the room as Sara let him in. While Grissom wasn't shocked to see Nick there, his eyebrows did raise perceptibly as he noticed him buttoning his shirt up the remainder of the way.  
  
Sara glanced over at Nick with a slightly bemused expression. She turned back to Grissom. "Uh, yeah, I'm feeling much better now that I've actually been able to keep food down."  
  
Grissom continued making mental assessments of the situation as he held the plant out to Sara. "This is for you."  
  
Sara tilted her head slightly. "Thanks. You do realize that you've doomed this poor plant to certain death, don't you?" A soft chuckled escaped her throat. "I've never been able to keep a plant alive for very long." Sara put the plant on the counter.  
  
Nick tried to swallow a grin.  
  
Grissom finally acknowledged Nick's presence. "Nicky."  
  
Nick nodded toward him, suddenly feeling a little awkward. "Gris."  
  
Sara studied the two men and a slightly amused expression crossed her face. Nick was jealous. She wasn't sure what Grissom was up to, but Nick was definitely jealous. She caught Nick's eye for a moment and she raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
Grissom looked over at Sara and noticed that she was looking at Nick. "Uh, I'm going to be going, I'm glad you're feeling better, Sara."  
  
She glanced back at him and started to walk toward the door. "Thanks again for the plant."  
  
Grissom paused at the door for a moment and looked over at Nick. "Nick, can I speak to you for a moment?"  
  
Nick glanced at Sara for a moment. "Sure." He walked over toward the door and then realized he didn't have his shoes on. He glanced around the room and then at Sara. "Do you remember where I left my shoes?"  
  
"I, uh, think they're in the other room." She smirked at him as she gestured toward her bedroom.  
  
"Thanks." Nick suddenly had the feeling of having his hand caught in the cookie jar as he headed into Sara's bedroom to collect his shoes.  
  
Grissom observed all of this slightly bewildered.  
  
Nick emerged a moment later with his shoes in hand and a grin on his face. He quickly slipped them on, not bothering to tie them as he followed Grissom out the door. He mouthed 'I'll be right back' at Sara.  
  
Nick followed Grissom all the way out to his vehicle before Grissom turned to speak to him. He looked less than pleased as he began to speak to Nick. "Why did you leave a crime scene without asking me first?"  
  
"Warrick and Catherine had it covered." Nick answered suddenly on the defensive.  
  
"I didn't send Warrick out there, I sent you." Grissom looked angry. "We were already one CSI short and you needed to be covering your scene."  
  
Nick shook his head in disbelief. "I don't believe this. You sent Warrick to check on Sara. Why is it such a big deal that he thought I should be over here instead? The damn scene was covered. Sara was so drunk when I got here, she could barely stand up. There was no way in hell I was going to leave her alone so she could aspirate on her own vomit. Hell, if you were so concerned about her, why didn't you come check on her yourself?" Nick's voice was controlled. Too controlled.  
  
Grissom's voice was softer, but still held an edge to it. "Why was she so drunk, Nick?"  
  
Nick shook his head and narrowed his gaze at Grissom. "Uh, uh. No. That's none of your business. If Sara wants to tell you, that's up to her, but as far as I'm concerned that is none of your business."  
  
Grissom let out a deep frustrated breath. "Fine." He studied Nick for a moment. "I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but you had better watch your step, Nicky. She's not just another girl you picked up at a club."  
  
Nick clenched his jaw as he shot Grissom a glare. Without a word he turned around and went back to Sara's apartment.  
  
Grissom watched from the parking lot as Nick disappeared inside Sara's apartment before he climbed in his Tahoe and drove away. 


	9. Tension

Nick's jaw was clenched as he returned inside Sara's apartment. A smirk played at Sara's lips. "You're jealous."  
  
Nick's head whipped around to face her. "What?"  
  
She started to walk toward him, a soft chuckle escaping her throat. "I said you're jealous."  
  
Nick glanced at the floor and wasn't quite sure how to respond. As he lifted his eyes, they rested on the plant that Grissom had dropped by. A frown formed on his face.  
  
Sara was almost in front of him. She looked amused. "Nick, look at me."  
  
He did, but his jaw was still clenched and he crossed his arms in front of his body defensively.  
  
Sara raised a single eyebrow at him and tilted her head to the side slightly. "You're cute when you're jealous."  
  
Nick closed his eyes and finally chuckled. "Ok, so I'm jealous." He opened his eyes, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.  
  
"Why?" Sara had a coy expression on her face.  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up and he gave her a 'no duh' expression. "Grissom."  
  
Sara bit her lip to restrain a giggle and glanced over at the counter where the plant sat before looking back at Nick. "Why, because he brought me a plant?"  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "It's not the plant."  
  
"Then what?" Sara pushed.  
  
Nick looked hesitant before answering her. "He made it pretty clear out there that he doesn't want me dating you."  
  
Anger flashed in Sara's eyes. "To hell with him, Nick. He can't tell me or you for that matter who we can and can't date. What the hell was he thinking?"  
  
Nick rested his forehead in his hand for a moment before continuing. "The way he was acting, it seemed like he was thinking he'd like to date you himself." Nick clenched his jaw again. "And he certainly can make our jobs a living hell if he has a mind to."  
  
"Nick, look at me." Sara's voice was measured and controlled.  
  
He met her gaze.  
  
"I think he's too much of a professional to stoop low enough to take this out on us at work as long as we keep our relationship outside of work." Her statement was reasonable enough.  
  
"Sara." Nick's voice had an edge to it that spoke volumes.  
  
She looked surprised. "What?" She studied him for a moment. "You don't think I still have a thing for him do you?"  
  
Nick let out a deep breath and a pained look came over his face. "He is the reason you moved here."  
  
Hurt flashed over Sara's face. "I can't believe you."  
  
"I'm sorry." Nick was at a loss for words.  
  
"Sorry?" Sara shook her head. "Nick, we just finished talking about how we want to give a dating relationship between us a try and you're concerned that I still have a thing for Grissom."  
  
Nick looked sheepish.  
  
"Do you trust me?" Sara looked hurt.  
  
Nick nodded silently, knowing that anything he was going to say would probably come out wrong.  
  
"Then trust me that I don't want Grissom, Nick. Trust me that I want you." Sara's voice was earnest.  
  
Nick's voice was a whisper as he pulled Sara into a hug. "I'm sorry, Sara."  
  
"Stop being sorry, Nick. Grissom is the one who should be sorry. It sounds like he acted like a prick." She whispered softly in return, sliding her arms around his waist.  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "Yeah, he did act like a prick. I seem to recall we were in the middle of something when he stopped by."  
  
Sara pulled away, the hint of a smile on her face. "I want to go lay down."  
  
Nick looked at her with concern. "You ok? Are you still dizzy? Tired?"  
  
Sara shook her head. "I'm not tired, I'm not dizzy, and I feel fine."  
  
"Then what?" Nick wasn't catching on.  
  
Sara deadpanned. "Do I have to spell it out for you, Stokes? Some CSI you are."  
  
Nick tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrow.  
  
Sara leaned up and kissed him softly. As she pulled away she smirked. "Getting the picture?"  
  
Nick chuckled softly and tightened his grip around her waist. "I think I am." He leaned over to kiss her as he walked them backwards toward her bedroom. 


	10. Bad News

Nick and Sara lay tangled on her bed facing each other in the midst of a deep passionate kiss that was headed for far more. Nick's hand had slid beneath Sara's tank top and massaged her breast as her fingers played at the zipper on his jeans. Their kisses served to stifle their moans and fuel the passion between them. Sara managed to pull his zipper down and as her fingers grazed him gently, he moaned her name. His hand left her breast and slid under the front waistband of her pajama pants, eliciting little gasps from Sara as he explored the most intimate parts of her body. She lay back and gripped the sheets as she writhed under his touch, arching her back as his hand continued its exploration. He began to nuzzle her breasts through the fabric of her shirt with his mouth.  
  
A loud knock sounded at the door of her apartment.  
  
"Ignore it, Nick." Sara groaned reaching down and gripping the waistband of her pajama pants. She started to shimmy out of them to give him better access to her body.  
  
The knock sounded again, louder and more insistent.  
  
Nick lifted his head for a moment. "It doesn't sound like they're going to go away."  
  
Sara swore and tried to catch her breath as Nick pulled his hand from her. She pulled her pants back up and slowly got off the bed.  
  
Nick lay back, his fly open, and his arousal very evident.  
  
Sara glanced at him and raised her eyebrow. "You'd better stay here, I don't think you're fit for company."  
  
He grinned and tried to catch his breath. "Thanks for noticing."  
  
She made her way to the front door and opened it to reveal Warrick standing there. Sara hoped she looked a little more composed than she felt at the moment. Nick's touch had left her legs feeling a little like cooked spaghetti. "Hey, Warrick."  
  
Warrick raised an amused eyebrow at her rumpled appearance. He knew that Nick's Tahoe sat parked outside. "Just wanted to stop by and see if you were feeling better."  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, I am." She tried to smooth out her hair nonchalantly.  
  
Warrick restrained a chuckled. "Is Nick still here?"  
  
A hint of color infused Sara's cheeks. "Uh, yeah, do you want to come in?"  
  
Very pointedly, Warrick asked. "Am I interrupting something?"  
  
The color in her cheeks intensified. "Uh, no, why do you ask?" She opened the door wider to let him in.  
  
"No reason." Warrick was entirely amused at Sara's embarrassment. He glanced around her apartment. "Uh, where's Nick?"  
  
Sara was unsure how to answer his question without revealing what he'd interrupted. "Uh, he's in the other room."  
  
Nick had heard the voices in the other room, and made his way out of the bathroom. "Hey, bro." He had headed in there almost as soon as Sara had left the bedroom to try and pull himself together.  
  
Sara glanced over, her panic relieved as she realized Nick had been able to refasten his pants, saving them both a bit of embarrassment.  
  
Warrick glanced at Nick and noticed that he looked as rumpled as Sara. An amused smile tugged at his lips. "You know, if I interrupted something, I can come back."  
  
Nick tried to swallow his grin.  
  
"We're just hanging out, Warrick." Sara explained not too convincingly. "You can stay if you want to."  
  
"I don't want to overstay my welcome. I just came by to see how you were doing." He smiled at Sara. "You look a hell of a lot better than you did the last time I saw you."  
  
She smiled. "I feel a hell of a lot better. Remind me that I don't hold my liquor very well."  
  
Warrick and Nick both laughed.  
  
Warrick glanced at Nick. "Hey, Nick, can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
Nick wrinkled his brow. "Sure, man."  
  
Warrick gestured toward the door.  
  
Nick glanced at Sara. "Uh, I'll be right back." He looked around for his shoes, but didn't see them anywhere so he just followed Warrick outside in his bare feet.  
  
Warrick looked at Nick with a serious expression. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that Grissom is on some sort of rampage. I think he might be on his way over here. He didn't sound too happy that I sent you over here to take care of Sara."  
  
Nick glanced at the ground for a moment and then back at Warrick, his hands rested on his hips. "Too late. He's been here and gone. He made it pretty clear he didn't want me with Sara."  
  
Warrick swore. "Sorry, man, I was hoping to warn you."  
  
"Thanks anyway." Nick replied sincerely.  
  
"What is his problem anyway?" Warrick pondered out loud.  
  
"This is Grissom were talking about here." Nick observed.  
  
Warrick nodded and then started to chuckle. "True. Hey, I'm gonna head out. I'll let you get back to Sara to finish whatever it was that I didn't interrupt."  
  
Nick chuckled and could restrain his grin.  
  
"Glad to see you two worked things out." Warrick commented as he headed for his Tahoe.  
  
Nick made his way back to Sara's apartment and shut the door behind him. He looked at Sara with concern as he saw annoyance written all over her face. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Grissom just called." Sara was becoming more agitated.  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows. "What did he say?"  
  
Worry clouded her expression. "He made a point to tell me that there were rules against fraternization."  
  
Nick walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Doesn't that just refer to supervisor/subordinant relationships?"  
  
"That's what I thought, but he didn't seem to think so in his interpretation." Sara was clearly upset. "Dammit, Nick, why does he have to be such an ass?"  
  
Nick pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it's gonna be ok. We'll figure it out."  
  
Sara clung to him. "I don't want to lose my job, Nick."  
  
"Shh, you're not going to lose your job." He tried to soothe her, but he wasn't so sure that they weren't both in danger of being fired if they continued their relationship. 


	11. He What?

"He what?" Catherine Willows was livid. Nick had called her and filled her in on his run in with Grissom as well as the phone call Sara had gotten. She let out a deep breath. "Nicky, don't worry, I'm going to talk to him. He's completely out of line."  
  
She hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. She knew that she probably wouldn't be getting much sleep, but she'd pulled double shifts before and this was more important than sleep. Two of her team members were being bothered unnecessarily and she had a sneaking suspicion she knew why.  
  
She pulled on her jacket and grabbed her keys. She had a few hours before Lindsey would be out of school for the day and she planned to make the time count.  
  
In a matter of fifteen minutes, she had pulled up in front of Gil Grissom's townhouse in her Tahoe and was knocking on the door rather loudly and insistently.  
  
Grissom opened the door looking slightly bewildered as Catherine brushed past him without a word. He could tell she was not happy. As he shut the door and turned around, he received the brunt of her frustration.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking? Or were you?" Catherine was livid.  
  
"What are you talking about, Catherine?" Grissom sputtered.  
  
"What am I talking about?! Get real, you know what the hell I'm talking about. I'm talking about Sara and Nick. What right do you have to tell Nick to stay away from her and tell Sara her job could be at stake if they decide to date each other?" Catherine narrowed her gaze as she called him on the carpet.  
  
"There are rules, Catherine." Grissom began.  
  
Catherine tilted her head in disbelief. "Those rules you're talking about refer to supervisor/subordinant relationships, Gil. That doesn't cover Nick and Sara."  
  
Grissom looked guilty as hell. "I, uh."  
  
"What is wrong with you? Jealous? You had your chance and you didn't take it. Get over it." Catherine stood inches from him pointing into his chest with her finger.  
  
"I'm not jealous." Grissom defended.  
  
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."  
  
"I may have had an interest in Sara, but it's always been professional." Grissom continued.  
  
Catherine let out a breath in disgust. "Like hell. If it was just professional, Gil, her dating Nick wouldn't bother you."  
  
Grissom's eyebrows went up in surprise.  
  
She nodded. "Yes, they're dating, and you can't do anything about it, so you had better get over yourself before you get slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit or have a complaint filed against you for misusing your authority, and you know how much Brian Mobley would love to get his hands on something like that."  
  
Grissom sat down a little shell shocked. "They're dating."  
  
Catherine's expression began to soften as she sat down next to her longtime friend. "Yes, Gil, they're dating, and they seem really happy. They're both professionals, they do a damn fine job. Besides, you're always telling Sara she needs to find an outside interest before she burns out. Nick is good for her."  
  
Grissom leaned back into his couch. "Have I really been that bad, Catherine?" He glanced over at her. The man looked like his heart had been ripped from his chest.  
  
She nodded and put her hand on his arm in a comforting gesture. "Yeah, you have. It's a good thing I've known you as long as I have, or I might have just let things go ahead and hit the fan."  
  
"I just never thought. I mean. Nick." Grissom was having a hard time letting it all sink in.  
  
"Nicky's a good guy. He would never do anything to hurt her. Besides, if he did, I'm sure Greg would be the first in line to kick his ass."  
  
A faint hint of a smile played at Grissom's lips. "I really blew it."  
  
"Yeah, you did." Catherine looked faintly amused.  
  
He looked at her. "You're good with people. I'm not."  
  
She chuckled. "That is an understatement, but I'm not fixing this for you."  
  
"Are you going to tell Mobley?" Grissom looked concerned.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know me better than that? You do need to talk to Nick and Sara though, because if you don't straighten up, I guarantee you they will talk to Mobley."  
  
Grissom closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "Can you take shift for me tonight? I need some time to think this through." He looked up at her, his eyes held a hint of pleading.  
  
She nodded. 


	12. Happy

Worry had consumed Sara, and Nick just held her whispering soothing words until she fell asleep in his arms on the couch. Their earlier passion had been temporarily forgotten in the wake of Grissom's phone call to Sara.  
  
Nick's cell phone rang and he managed to disentangle himself from Sara to grab it before it went to voicemail. "Stokes."  
  
"Nick, it's Catherine." There was a hint of a smile in her voice.  
  
"What's up?" Nick didn't want to sound to eager, but he knew that the only reason she'd be calling so soon after their last conversation would be that she'd talked to Grissom.  
  
She chuckled softly. "I talked to Grissom. You and Sara don't have to worry about anything, at least from him. You're right about your interpretation of the rules, and quite frankly, he knows better. I think it was just a little bit of a shock to find out you two were an item."  
  
"He still has a thing for her doesn't he?" Nick queried softly even as Sara began to wake up.  
  
"I told him he missed his chance and he'd better get over it, or I'd talk to Mobley." Catherine concluded.  
  
Nick chuckled. "Catherine Willows, you sure know how to pull punches."  
  
"When you work in a man's world, you need to be able to play a man's game." She chuckled. "Let Sara know, and let me know if he does anything else."  
  
"I will." Nick smiled at Sara who looked at him with a curious expression.  
  
"One more thing." Catherine added. "He's going to be out tonight and when he comes back if he doesn't apologize to both of you, I want to know about it."  
  
"Sure thing. Thanks, Catherine." Nick ended the call and turned his attention to Sara.  
  
"What did she say?" Sara looked somewhat worried.  
  
"Not to worry. She talked to Grissom. I think more accurately she probably chewed his ass out, but she said everything is ok." He grinned at her.  
  
A sleepy smile spread over her face. "Good."  
  
"She said we should expect an apology." Nick looked somewhat amused.  
  
Sara started to laugh. "Grissom apologizing, this should be good." She motioned for him to return to the couch.  
  
He sat down next to her and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I think we need to get some sleep."  
  
Nick glanced at her, amused. "Sara, we've been sleeping almost all day, I'm not tired."  
  
She waggled her eyebrows at him. "Good, then you'll have plenty of energy for what I have in mind."  
  
Nick let out a low growl as he grabbed her waist and began kissing her neck as he tickled her.  
  
Sara giggled. "Nick, stop."  
  
He pulled away with a slightly confused look on his face. "Sorry."  
  
She stood up from the couch and began to back away toward her bedroom. She grinned at him and just as she stood in the doorway of her bedroom, she pulled her tank top off over her head and tossed it at him. "Aren't you coming?"  
  
Nick pulled his shirt over his head and let it drop on the floor as he walked toward her bedroom, by the time he walked through the door, he had discarded his jeans as well.  
  
Sara raised a single eyebrow at him as she lay there under the covers. "Turn the light off."  
  
He complied and then shed his boxers before crawling into bed next to her. He reached for her and began to rekindle what they had started earlier before they'd been interrupted. Being with her was even better than he had remembered, and as they lay there in the semi darkness holding each other, Nick smiled.  
  
"Nick?" Sara's voice was a bit tentative as she splayed her fingers out over his bare chest.  
  
Nick leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Yeah?"  
  
"I love you." Her words felt like the sweet kiss of rain.  
  
Nick's voice was husky as he pulled her more fully against him as they lay there facing each other, tangled together. "I love you too."  
  
Sara placed a soft kiss against his lips, and they became lost in the moment, basking in the confessions that they'd just made to each other. 


End file.
